This dart of a LEGO car by GunnBuilding is a reimagining from the original heyday of the automobile, when people first realized that racing steel machines with wheels was great fun. The tiny single-seater is strapped together with a tenuousness befitting its early origins, the curved slopes of the hood held closed by rubber bands and numerous other elements held on by only the merest clutch. The result, however, is brilliant, and this car looks as speedy as it does classy.
It can be surprising how far a little camera angle and a good idea can go. Sometimes creations that are amazing from a technical standpoint can turn out overwhelming or chaotic, when simplicity is all you need. This creation by Martin Harris is one of the examples where less is more.
The build is indeed simple, but it has everything it needs. The water is essentially just thoughtfully placed curved slopes, and the ship looks like a ship with a nicely sculpted dragonhead and a viking-style sail. All this is photographed cleanly and at an immersive angle. The selling point is the ridiculous idea though. The fierce warriors on the ship are different LEGO baby minifigs, including sewer babies from the LEGO Movie 2, all wearing LEGO Heroica helmets.
Apocalypse is never a valid reason to stop enjoying your favourite tunes. Look at Emmet who keeps his chin up when the world around has almost been destroyed. British LEGO fan and builder justin_m_winn peeks inside Emmet’s hideout equipped with high-end stereo. This two-layers vignette has a lot of details smoothly mixed together. A room like this would fit somewhere inside 70840 Welcome To Apocalypseburg set; just imagine Emmet shaking up all of his neighbours with Everything is Awesome!
Emmet isn’t alone in keeping his chin up during the impending LEGO apocalypse. Justin has also built “Apocalypse Benny” (with his robotic arm) a wonderful display vignette, using super-rare pieces from original Classic Space sets.
For a Western audience, this collection of buildings by 磊 耿 is a striking break from the more familiar architecture usually seen in a LEGO street scene, with a wonderful variety of styles. But regardless of where you’re from, you’re bound to be impressed by the sheer quality of the building work on display. Pagoda roofs vie with castle spires for attention, and “big” certainly doesn’t mean bland, with an impressive depth of texture and interesting colour schemes across all the structures.
See more images of these beautiful buildings
LEGO has revealed 21317 Steamboat Willie, the next LEGO Ideas set featuring retro-Mickey and Minnie Mouse minifigures as well as the iconic S.S. Willie steamboat. The boat’s steam pipes bounce up and down and the paddle wheels rotate as the set is pushed forward. The set comes with 751 pieces and will be available starting April 1st for US: $89.99 | Canada: 119.99 CAD | UK: £79.99.
The monochromatic set comes only a month after it was selected to be one of the next LEGO Ideas products, a shockingly fast turnaround in comparison to previous LEGO Ideas sets. The set is also quite an upgrade from the original submission. Continue reading to see all the official photos, or take a closer look at the insides and build process in our review of 21317 Steamboat Willie.
Click to see all the details of the Steamboat Willie LEGO Ideas set
Only a few weeks since the set was announced in the second round of LEGO Ideas reviews from 2018, 21317 Steamboat Willie will be available to buy from April 1st. The final set design is very different from the Ideas project which inspired it, and, with all respect to the original model, the improvements are significant. Mickey’s paddle steamer is much larger and more detailed than the original microscale design.
The set has 751 pieces, features black & white retro minifigures of Mickey and Minnie, and is available from April 1st for US: $89.99 | Canada: 119.99 CAD | UK: £79.99.
Click here to read our full hands-on review of LEGO Ideas 21317 Steamboat Willie
Paddington Bear is surely one of the least likely TV characters to have seen a 21st century reboot. However Michael Bond’s beloved creation has enjoyed renewed commercial success, and some surprising critical acclaim, in two recent big screen outings. Now his iconic status is cemented as he becomes the subject of a LEGO model — vincentkiew‘s delightful figure. All the character’s trademark attributes are present and correct — blue duffle coat, floppy red hat, and travel-stamped suitcase. The use of tan-coloured cam-shaft pieces for the coat’s toggles is perfect, and the whole composition is enhanced with the scenery — quickly and simply placing the bear in his natural environment: middle-class suburban London.
In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the third week of March 2019.
This life-size LEGO Ford Anglia from set 75953 Hogwarts Whomping Willow is making its debut at London Comic Con. How many pieces did it take to build? Read on to find out.
TBB NEWS & REVIEWS: LEGO news was slim this week, but we still have a few good sales, a new gift with purchase and some awesome instructions, just for you.
Big Build: Ford Anglia – LEGO Harry Potter
Check out this magical Ford Anglia made completely out of LEGO bricks! ✨????
Posted by LEGO on Tuesday, March 5, 2019
OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest:
Click to read even more LEGO news
Of all the things we’ve seen built from LEGO over the years, individual organs have to come near the end of the list. Proving that they are, in fact, on the list though, is this cheery two-dimensional stomach by ForlornEmpire. There’s actually a lot of complex building involved in creating this digestive system, with skillful SNOT-work required to position the various curved slopes making the wavy edges.
In a few months’ time, I’ll be attending Japan Brickfest in Kobe. I always find the prospect of displaying a model at an event motivating. So, for this occasion I am building a few new models with a Japanese twist. I presented my Tokyo Police car a little while ago and I’ve now completed an ambulance to accompany it. The typical Japanese ambulance is a Toyota HiMedic van.
Mine represents an example used by the Tokyo Fire Department. At a first glance it may look like a box on wheels. That box is a lot wider near the bottom than near the top, though. I got the sides to taper by attaching them to hinges, but getting all of this to fit was a challenge, in particular around the windscreen. Despite the angled sides, all the doors open, including a sliding door on each side of the van. I really enjoyed making the stickers. I got to draw kanji letters and little emblems that depict Kyuta-Kun, which is the super cute Tokyo Fire Department mascot. The end result looks very Japanese and suitably futuristic. Picture this with two nacelles instead of wheels and it wouldn’t look out of place in the shuttle bay of the Starship Enterprise. Befitting a culture known for politeness, these ambulances have a PA system with recorded sentences that kindly warn other road users to make way. That detail, unfortunately, is missing from my LEGO model.
Located in South Dakota and finished in 1941, Mount Rushmore is one of the most iconic U.S. monuments. It depicts the busts of four famous American presidents, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. It’s an excellent candidate for modeling in LEGO, such as this beautiful microscale layout built by Rocco Buttliere. Rocco has gone the extra mile by building the visitor center, rows of state flags, and the surrounding terrain. It’s a sight to behold, and I bet it looks even more impressive in person.
See more of this tiny monument
Cole Blaq is well-known for his LEGO spaceships, such as this starfighter we shared back in December. We’re pleased to see Cole back again with another slick-looking spacecraft. The color scheme is particularly striking, relying heavily on dark metallic bricks with a dash of tan here and there. This combination feels believably modern.
